Here Regardless
by hmfan24
Summary: It seems as though he stood at her doorstep for ten years. When would she answer to him? When would be the day she'd smile for him? Time was still no barrier, for he would be here regardless. "She won't ever answer to you, Uchiha." Light to dark story SH
1. Prologue

**hmfan: So, I got this idea...but the plot is a lot like His Way. and You Break Her You Buy Her and Breakaway, but no plagiarism, cuz I own 'em. It'll be romantic comedy for a bit, and yes, it's SasuHina onesided for a while. Stole the title from a quote I read.**

**disclaimer: Shouldn't these go at the end? It has the prefix, "dis-" meaning I once claimed it, but I didn't. Anyway, I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, my creditcard was denied. **

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**Here Regardless  
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**Prologue: Acquaintance **

_"Are you going to go?" Sasuke stood on the outside of a little alley in the manor next to Hinata. He taunted her, "You have Byakugan, don't you? It shouldn't even be scary."_

_She stuck her tongue out, "But you hit the ball back there."_

_The Uchiha manor was bustling that afternoon. All was well._

_"Grrr...you should have hit it back like we've been doing all morning long! You're a stinky sparring partner."_

_Hinata leaned against the bricks, looking up to the sky, "It's almost lunch time, is Itachi-kun coming?"_

_Sasuke rose his eyebrow, "Is that all you're thinking about: lunch?"_

_She giggled, shaking her head and blushing, "No, silly," without thinking she revealed, "I'm thinking about your brother." Realizing what she said, she covered her mouth with both her hands, "But you better not tell him!" She turned away._

_Poor Sasuke's eyes widened. His face was redder than hers, "W-What?" He looked away as well, "You like my brother or something? That's sick. He's so cool, there's no way he'd like someone like you!"_

_Hinata's eyes watered, tears streamed down her cheeks, "Don't say that..." she mumbled._

_"Because of your eyes, because of your stupid smile, because of your pale skin, and especially because of your girly blush, there's no way he'd like you." He blushed, scratching the back of his neck, "But, Hinata, I find y-..." She was gone._

* * *

**_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...  
_**  
An immature, obnoxious little Hyuuga brat scurried down the hall. The stealth she exhibited before had rivaled the Uchiha clan. She stumbled, tripped, and skidded, colliding into maids and servants, whose arms were full of whatever they were going about at the time.

The young lady was soon approaching her teens. She neared her older sister's bedroom and busted through the door, "Neechan!" Out of breath, and red in the face, she looked up, "Neechan, you must listen!"

An older young lady sat in a chair with a book in hand. She then folded it in her lap. For a ninja, she was one of few who acted like a maiden "should". "Yes?" Her eyes fully open, exposing the full moon-like orbs within them, she inquired her sister's urgent message. Fearing it'd be tragic, she felt her heart race, "What is it, Hanabi?"

Hanabi looked up, with an intimidating smirk. Her eyebrows furrowed, enhancing her impish appearance, "Uchiha Sasuke is you new suitor. He's downstairs talking to Dad right now. I know you like that blond idiot, so when you decline this Uchiha, can you pass him to me? He is hot."

The maiden dropped her book and darted in the direction Hanabi came from. Neji was standing at the stairway, blocking it, "Hinata-sama, you cannot pass." His voice bared fear and disappointment.

"Sasuke is here, isn't he? You can't let him talk to my father! You of all people know what he's capable of."

Neji's eyebrow rose, "Which one?"

"Both!" She put her hand to her head, sighed, and paced back and forth. The Hyuuga Estate had a balcony overlooking the entire meeting room. Hinata and Neji were on the fifth floor while the meeting was taking place on the first. The distance blocked off most sound, "Hia- I mean, Father, has his power as his pedestal. His investments go towards more power. Sasuke knows how to talk up his power to be the most there ever was. My father, seeking power, chooses Sasuke to marry off his weak little heiress." She imagined it unfolding.

"Are you okay? It's just a meeting."

Hinata was not okay. Most may look at her presently, rethinking her character, but at times like these she reverts back to her old nature. That's how she'd put it, but hormones and time would be a reasonable explanation. How could someone remain that calm all the damn time, she said once, to a shocked field of her teammates before storming away.

Silly of Neji to underthink this, but his excuse would be the time of the night. That soon went away when he saw Hinata drop down five stories from the balcony to the floor. He leaned over it, to watch the potential ambush. "Has she finally lost it?"

Hiashi, not surprised, looked up, "Finally, you arrived."

She looked up at the two, eyes half-closed, "Father, you returned from your mission suddenly, and Sasuke, you returned."

Her suitor smirked, crossing his arms, "Hey, I know you." He mocked her, "Weren't you the little girl who blushed too much?" This, to him, was amusing, to say the least. Everyone knew, he'd be back to take her away. Everyone except her.

His hair was 'combed' backwards, as it has for years, and he wore a black shirt and pants. The headband he once wore was no longer tied around any part of his body. It's been three years since he first left the village. She hoped it'd be more.

Sasuke bit his lower lip. Hinata was dressed in a simple gown with the Hyuuga flame on the back. Her ponytail was made messily. He didn't think it was possible for her to become anymore attractive than the last time he saw her.

Surprisingly, she played along, "I know you, too. You're the jackass that betrayed me and my village. Don't I hate you?"

Hiashi pounded on the table twice, "Stop it, you two. Can't you stop behaving like children for one second?" He flipped a sheet of paper and stared at it. He cleared his throat, "You can't just come in here and take away my worthless daughter. You must show me. After all, you did, indeed, betray Konoha. I need to earn your trust." Hinata smiled as Sasuke frowned. "My daughter, if anything, has good judgment."

"You mean it?" Hinata was elated.

"But our deal!" Sasuke shouted.

"That was when you were five years old, boy. You can't expect me to follow through on such a promise."

He would have made her a promise, too.

* * *

_But he made a mistake, "Hinata!" yet he ran after her._

_Unexpectedly, he was caught by his brother. "Lunch." Itachi threw him over his shoulder, and walked in the direction of their home._

_At the table, Sasuke ate his food slowly. He couldn't stop glaring at his brother. 'How can I eat when Hinata-hime loves him?' He daydreamed of his brother turning from a dragon to a knight and for himself turning from a knight into a dragon. That's not how the story went._

_"Is something-..." Mikoto, his mother, hesitantly inquired. Sasuke was known for his meaningless brooding._

_He stood to his feet, and pounded on the table. "Aniki, were you aware Hinata-hime is in love with you?" Itachi raised an eyebrow, and nodded. It didn't take a genius to figure this out. In fact, Mikoto and Fugaku nodded as well. They went back to their lunch. Sasuke blushed, "Well, you can't have her! She's my friend and...and..."_

_"Aw, Sasuke-chan, that's so sweet. You should help me make her a bento." Mikoto cooed, and began to reminisce about a Hyuuga heir's taste for romance. "Her father made me one when I was your age." Fugaku grunted. "But of course it was your father who," she sighed, "stole it and ate it and I married him instead." He sunk in his seat, embarrassed._

_"No! A bento isn't enough, Mom, I love her!" he tried to make such a sensitive sentence sound as tough as he could._

_Itachi waved his hand back and forth, indicating how uninterested he was in a girl five years his junior. The only mildly intriguing thing about the entire conversation was Sasuke's sudden declaration of love for the Hyuuga heiress. In fact, to the Uchiha, that was enough to suggest something. "Marry her. Have kids. Girls like that type of stuff." He continued eating._

_Sasuke-chan's face grew even redder. Fugaku grunted again, "Don't give him any ideas, Itachi. You know the history between Hyuugas and Uchihas."_

_"Hush, Fugaku, the only reason you say that is because Hiashi had a big crush on me back at the academy. I think if Sasuke-chan is in love and Hinata...-hime loves him too, they should get married." She crossed her arms, as if confirming the statement as fact._

_The youngest Uchiha stormed out of the room, and soon everyone was finished with their meals. The sun was in the sky, directly above them. It was noon. Mikoto held her tea close to her, looking up, "My little Uchiha prince..." She sipped a bit, "Have you truly fallen at such a young age?"_

* * *

**Hmfan: The plot will get darker, but my heart is too weak to write such things. If you're good with metaphors the opening flashback had a lot of foreshadows; if you're better than me then you probably are thinking too hard. Let's see, in my magical orb, I predict: a tragic event, a magic event (not really...it just rhymed), a fucked-up triangle, a bet, interference from cannon, a revelation expressed as a poem (song if you wish), past alliances, and a bit gothic love. I recently read Jane Eyre... go muses.**

**Huge thanks to my beta. I know I've had others in the past, but I forgot their names. Sad to say, but I do not know her fanfiction account name. On deviantart she's bjorkbus (Wow, I just found that out. Have you seen her artwork? It's all so glorious.) **


	2. Chapter 1

**hmfan: I love my readers! **

This story is betaed by Subject 32.

Written by me!

**Chapter One**

"The thing about my sister is," Hanabi sat on the couch across from Sasuke. She shrugged, uncomfortable telling him this, "she doesn't like to be touched. As nice as she is, intimacy has been her biggest weakness. Basically, she'll smile, but she'll never hug. Her mom is just like that. That, however, is a different story." Her tongue stuck out to the side of her mouth and smirked, "She can't even visualize her own wedding."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow then showed no further interest, "I can't either."

Hanabi laughed, "I can. I'm going to have it on a river. That'd be cool, right?" She went on about how innovative and original it'd be. There would be a tournament instead of reception dedicated to her and her husband. The winner would win her respect. The two both had a good laugh.

Neji walked in, sighing at the sight of Sasuke. He'd been living in his room for at least a week now. His snores rumbled the walls of the decent-for-one quarters, "Uchiha, have you seen Hinata? She's been out of the house for at least an hour."

"An hour and a half. She went to a meeting with her father. She'll be back in about ten minutes." the Uchiha chanted nonchalantly.

The other two stood back in awe, "Stalkerish." They both said to themselves, with wide eyes.

The agreements of the "marriage" were set. Sasuke would have four months to earn Hinata's heart. During this time he wasn't to leave the estate. His whereabouts were still unknown to the entire village. He sensed suspicious activity, however. Why couldn't Hiashi make up his damn mind? Smuggle a illegal rogue ninja or marry him to your daughter. Simple, right? There was no need to beat around the bush.

Meanwhile, he had since developed bonds within the clan. Hanabi would tell stories in the commons, occasionally asking to train and Neji would demand spars from time to time. Hinata hasn't said much to him. She'd come home, eat, and go to sleep. Even Hiashi and him seemed to exchange a few words.

It was pretty late for a meeting. The sun had set a few hours ago. Sasuke stood at the balcony, overlooking parts of the village. "You're actually on time." He said, not looking back. Leaning forward he sighed, not hearing her voice.

Hinata stifled a sob, and wiped her eyes on the front of her shoulder. She stared at his back, trying to say something. When she opened her mouth to speak, she let out another sob.

Sasuke snapped around, "Ah..." he lightly gasped, "H-Hinata?"

"Nothing, Sasuke."

He turned back around, incapable of consoling her. All he could do was sigh, hoping she'd stop soon. So he continued with his original conversation, "What made you decide to come today?"

Every day since he's been here, Sasuke has requested they meet on top of the Main building. He always ended up there alone, but took the time to sort out his plans for her. Today to him was no different. They both kept them selves occupied all day long, long enough for her to get out of any conversing.

The wind blew, the air was chilled. Hinata coughed. The Uchiha's mouth curved upwards, "You know when you cough that means someone is thinking about you."

She wiped her eyes, "No, it's the sneeze that means someone is talking about you, maliciously."

"I don't think so," he said, in a serious tone, "I'm thinking about you and you just sneezed. That proves it as fact."

It still surprised her how someone could emotionlessly flatter someone. She giggled, reminding her of how he used to be.

_"You're throwing it wrong." Sasuke said behind her. Even when she looked at the bullseye. Byakugan couldn't always help precision._

_He decided to talk to her today? After he claimed Itachi would never love her, he suddenly has the nerve to-...she was brought away from her inner, inner thoughts. Sasuke turned her shoulders to the left, and pushed her right foot forward with his. "You don't need to look at the bullseye directly. Use your Byakugan. That way you can train both." He put his hand to the top of her head, "Here," his face was so plain, "look at me."_

_"Sasuke-chan..." she mumbled._

_"Throw with your left hand this time," he stood back, nodding at her position, "now throw." _

_The position she was in was awkward, so it wasn't much surprise when the kunai went straight to the ground. She looked unimpressed, "I'm right-handed, Sasuke."_

_He wasn't sure what he was doing anyway. It just seemed like the perfect time to patch things up with her, "You're too beautiful to train," said the seven year old Sasuke, with his hands behind his neck._

Hinata bit her bottom lip, and stood up, "I need to leave the village tonight."

"Why?" this shocked him. So sudden? He was supposed to play Hanabi in a rematch of go.

"There's no need to talk about this. Are you coming or not?"

This time, the Uchiha had to turn around. She held two scrolls in her hands and held it out like a robot. She was dressed in a long, dark robe, and could be easily mistaken as a mage. He bit back his lip, "Who's coming?"

"I need to leave this village as soon as possible!" she rose her voice slightly. "A-And..." she closed her eyes, "I'm willing to sign the contract and become your wife."

For many reasons, this still did not satisfy him. He watched her fight tears. "If it's what you want, then I'll oblige."

"Let's move out first."

As they made their way to the stairs, Hanabi there stood, "Hinata, you can't leave! Father will find a way out of this." She pleaded, Hinata walked past her teary eyed sister.

She looked to Sasuke, who stood perplexed, "Talk her out of this!"

"What?"

"She wants to leave because of-..."

Hinata interrupted, "Hanabi, are your bags packed?" Anyone in their right mind knew they couldn't trust Hinata's dear little sister. She'd have to come if her plan was to go through.

"She's coming with us?" This was all still confusing to Sasuke, who stood still at the top of the stairwell.

Hanabi retorted, "I don't need bags!"

"Stop yelling."

"No one's on this floor."

"Fine, we have enough money anyway."

"Okay."

"Good."

The routine Hyuuga quarrel left Sasuke speechless, but the moved ahead past the gates and far enough from the village before dawn.

* * *

_His words left Hinata in shock. Why so kind? "What are you saying, Sasuke?"_

_"Are you that stupid?" he clenched his fist, careful not to lose his temper, "I don't want you to like Itachi because I," he turned around, a crow cawed just as he said, "I love you."_

_Just his luck._

_Hinata didn't hear him, she pointed up to the nest, "You see that nest, Sasuke?" Sasuke stood, exhasted from what he prepared to say all last night. Stupid birds. _

_He looked anyway, "Yeah, what about them?"_

_"The mother and father bird work so hard to build a nest and lay eggs, but in a few weeks they push the kids out to fly, even if they're not ready," she smiled, closing her eyes._

_"Hn," he said, slightly impressed._

_Her smile grew wider, "I want to be a better mother than that. I want to keep those I care about close to me. When I grow up, my kids don't have to be ninja. They can do whatever they want."_

_"I wouldn't do that. I'd train them so they could be ready."_

_"You stink at training, Sasuke-kun!"_

_"They have to be able to stick up for themselves. If they're weak, then who's going to protect them when I'm on a mission? **I'm **a ninja!"_

_The argument could go on forever. Hinata sure is contentious for a shy girl._

The night came and went. Sai, Sakura, and Naruto sat on the Hokage monument to watch the sun come up.

"Hey, kids," said Kakashi, waving from behind them. The three jumped. His then frowned under his mask, "We have an important meeting with the Hokage this morning. Sasuke passed throught the village."

Naruto's eyes widened, "What do you mean just passed through? Where the hell is he?" The questioning didn't cease until they got there. Sai walked, not thinking about anything in particular. It'd be nice to run into that Uchiha again, however.

Sakura kept spacing out, "Sasuke..." she thought.

Kakashi didn't think much of the matter. Chances are it wasn't him, and it was a faulty report from a drunk. (This has happened before.) "Relax, Naruto. I doubt it was him."

"Naruto!" a voice called out from behind. They turned back to see who it was. Neji, "Hinata's missing. Have you seen her?"

How suspicious. Sasuke comes then goes, and Hinata disappears. The obvious conclusion would be, "Hinata must have done a jutsu so she looks like Sasuke and could roam the village as she pleased." Naruto pounds his fist into his palm as if coming out with a logical explanation. He expected approving grins, but all he got were glares.

Neji couldn't notice. He was distraught. The first conclusion coming up in his mind was, "Sasuke kidnapped Hinata." He failed to say it outloud. He turned to Sakura, "You saw Uchiha?"

"No," she frowned, looking over to the side, "it's only a rumor. I'm not yet sure if it's true."

Hyuugas held their secresy. As melancholic as Sakura looked right now, he kept his promise to with hold the Uchiha's location. Afterall, she was in close affiliation with the Hokage. "I haven't seen him at all." His current condition prevented him from being cool, calm, and collected as usual, "I-I need to go look for Hinata."

They proceeded to the Hokage's office. She turned away from the door once it began to open. They'd pry to much on what she already knew. Sure enough, a flood of questions came out as an uproar from Sakura and Naruto. Between those two, she'd prefer a drink, "Silence," she shouted herself, "I called to tell you a fact and an order."

Sai was quite intriqued by this mystery. He crossed his arms, reassuring the silence of his teammates, "We're listening." He nodded.

"Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke have a connection somehow."

"You've heard reports of Sasuke loitering around town?" Kakashi asked for the first time.

"No," she said, leaning back in her chair, "I've known his location. He's been staying at the Hyuuga Estate for quite a while. A week or two, I think."

The entire room was silenced indefinitely. How could she make a connection so quickly? There must be information she's failing to disclose. After about a minute of painful quiet, Sakura spoke, "He left?"

"That leads me to my order," she turned around, frowning, deeply, "let him be. This involves the Hyuuga clan. I have a private investigation with them. Sasuke just happens to be in the way. If you infiltrate their quarters who knows what that will lead to. Leave my office immediately. Shizune, send me Hyuuga Hiashi."

Naruto came to the desk, "What if you're wrong? What if Sasuke ran away?" He'd since given up his previous conclusion, "What if he's a few miles outside the village."

"I'll find this out on my own. The only reason I called you all was to prevent rumors from crossing your ears."

* * *

Sasuke was confused. He sat in one of Orochimaru's hideout at a table across from Hinata. The reason Hinata suddenly wanted to escape Konoha with him was perplexing, to say the least, "Why did you decide to bring me?"

She didn't look up from the map, "We move at night. I can't afford to be caught."

"Everyone moves at night, Hinata!" yelled Hanabi from Orochimaru's former desk. "We're ninja, we can move whenever we want."

Hinata failed to answer his question, "Did something happen when you came back from that meeting?"

"No, night is best if we want to get into the Lightning Country. We have quite a journey." she then mumbled incoherently.

Sasuke bit his bottom lip for the first time in a while, "Hinata, about the contract," her eyes shot up at him, "you said you'd sign it."

She let out a sigh, remembering to open the scroll. That was the last thing on her mind. She brought the scroll out of her bag, frowning deeply.

He looked at her expression, frowning as well. Sasuke is no idiot. She clearly does not want to sign the contract. Without thinking, he wiped everything off the table in rage, including both scrolls. Ink splattered on the walls, the map flew to the edges of the room, the books were everywhere. Hinata looked up at Sasuke, a bit frightened. He scoffed, "Hinata, tell me everything, now!"

"I can't tell you."

His concern has been expressed such as this from day one, "I want to know what happened yesterday."

"I can't tell you."

"Did someone say something to you? If they did, that'll be the last time words come from their mouth!"

"That's why I can't tell you anything."

"Why?! Because I don't like people saying any old shit to you?"

"No."

"I risked a lot to save you from Konoha. For this very reason," he looked away from the sobbing Hyuuga for a second. His voice cracked slightly, "I don't want to see you upset." No longer was his face red with anger, but because he was upset with the situation.

Hinata decided she should tell him the truth, "Sasuke, I'm sorry. I didn't want to say I'm using you."

He scoffed, "I knew that. There's no way you'd instantly fall for me without a reason."

"I still love-..."

"Naruto? Stupid girls, they're all the same. They can never seem to appreciate what they have. Naruto would do anything for Sakura, but she only claims love for me. You'd probably do anything for him, but you know what? I'd do anything for you. If you want to use me, you can take all I have left, Hyuuga." he sat back down in his chair, laying back.

Her sobs kept coming like the beat of his heart.

She wiped her eyes, "The Hokage requested something of me I don't have the heart to do."

"What is that?"

"To take out my clan." she stated, after reassuring Hanabi was asleep. Sasuke was in disbelief and couldn't talk. She nodded, "Apparently my clan has had illegal affilations with various countries. My devotion to the village and exile from my clan lead the Hokage to believe I was up to the task. For the past year, she revealed today, Danzo only took me in for this purpose: to prevent Coup d'état."

"You trained with Danzo?" he seemed intrigued. This followed along the same story as his brother's. How long had Konoha been up to this?

She looked to the ground, poking her fingers together, "I've become a lot stronger thanks to root and a lot tougher, too. Now that I know why, I don't know if I could take out my own clan if I wanted to."

"Have you talked to Hiashi?"

"Plenty of times. We have reasons for everything. Although our tasks may clearly defy the Konohagakure code, we have a code of our own."

He nodded, agreeing deeply. "I nearly forgot," he leaned on the inside of his wrist with his elbow propped up on the table, "I nearly forgot the reason why I fell in love with her." He thought to himself. A smile spread across his face, "Okay."

She blushed, looking away, "Why are you staring at me, Sasuke?"

"Of all people, you should know that."

**hmfan: So my excuse for updating so late is rather long. My original Chapter One was similar to my old style of writing - pointless humor. I tried to step it up a notch by adding drier humor and better diction to contribute to the relatively, serious tone of the plot. I found my old beta (rather he found me) and my beta for the previous chapter (bjorkubus) went on to pursue her dream to teach. He, Subject 32, gave me equally valuble advice to improve my writing even further. Hopefully I'll keep what I've learned in mind while writing the chapters to come. **

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

**hmfan: I've had this story edited for a month now and only recently decided to do something with it. My beta, Subject 32, did a masterful job. I learned a lot from his edit about my own writing in comparrison to proper and more advanced grammar and litterature techniques. As for reviews...wish there were more...but whatever...I'm enjoying writing this story. **

At the same time, "Yes," he had doubts, "it _would_ make sense to cross through water. We should use our downtime to build up chakra." He had growing doubts, and not about the path, nor about the people passing over their hideout.

"I'm ready to go right now," like a little child who wanted to stay up five more minutes, Hinata yawned, "I have enough chakra to begin our journey."

Sasuke smirked, and then frowned, "You're the one who said you wanted to move at night."

"The night is still young."

"It's dawn, Hinata."

"I see. Okay, good morning," She got up from her seat near the table and drifted back into the resting quarters.

Sasuke sighed, leaning forward onto the table. He had doubts about her motives. "How strong could she be now, in this state?" They'd left in such a rush. Damn the Hokage and the entire Hyuuga clan for doing this to his Hina-chan.

--

"Hiashi." Tsunade greeted the Hyuuga clan head with respect. She watched as he entered and bowed only slightly. She scowled at this, "Hyuuga Hiashi, how has your clan been?"

He stood, empty eyes almost lifeless, "We're doing well, Tsunade-sama. My heiress has shown progressing strength for the future and we've settled several quarrels of the past. I think we are making good progress for the sake of the entire village." With this report he nodded and so did she.

"By heiress, I'm sure you mean Hinata. Has she shared any ideas in contribution to this progress?"

"No, but in the end, she'll serve as beneficial," he blinked once, a significant sign that went unnoticed. This plan was far too cemented to be found out. If it were, it'd uproot the entire Hyuuga foundation.

Tsunade folded her fingers, placing them in her lap, "Beneficial?"

"Productive."

"Be more specific!" the calm approach wasn't working for her. "Producing what benefit?"

He smirked, silently laughing, "I believe you partially know the location of Uchiha Sasuke, the rogue-ninja," she nodded, and he continued. "He has taken a liking to my daughter. I've noticed he's popular with the other kunoichi of this village. To me, he's like a son I have never had. This young man, from what I know, is the key to this village's future." Prior to this meeting, he'd prepared something – a speech to distract the Hokage. In fact, the plan he just stated, was all a distraction.

"The two are close?" How could they be so close? She'd never seen them interact, nor a reason to. "What are you getting at?"

"Hinata may be leaving the clan," he stated. For his plan, she had to. "Her happiness is one of my first priorities. If she wishes to marry into another clan, I must give her my best wishes. The next step, I suppose, is producing children."

Her eyes widened, "You're not saying _this_ is your plan, is it? I hope you're not pushing Hinata to Sasuke! Is that what your plan is?"

He laughed it off, "She's already in his arms, Tsunade. With all my power, I cannot stop young love."

Tsunade was apprehensive about his sincerity, as she always had been, "This makes no sense. Hinata has surely proven she's powerful enough to lead the clan. Why would she suddenly resign?"

Hiashi sensed Tsunade wanted Hinata in the clan, "We'll be in close affiliation – you and I. Marriage, in this clan, has never been anything more than a way to remove tension. With Sasuke back in our gates, he is less likely to roam about the world, causing havoc."

"Are you hinting he is aroused?"

"Right you are, Hokage-sama. His chakra level is barely noticeable. His hormones have led him into an intoxicated trance."

Perhaps, Tsunade thought, Hinata was a step ahead of her father. Surely she'd planned this series of events. After all, her devotion to the village surpassed any obligations to her clan. "That is all." What a painful decision that would be.

_It had to be a secret. Everything they did together couldn't be known by anyone. _

"_You'll never catch me," giggled Hinata, dancing forth into the courtyard of the Uchiha manor. This area was preferred to the heavily guarded Hyuuga estate after all. It was practically vacant, unsuitable for training as Uchiha needed dry air as opposed to the humid marsh. _

_He blushed, grinning at the same time. Every moment with her was bright. It never got old, "Just don't leave me, Hinata! I can catch up to any girl." She wasn't any girl. He knew that. Who else could bring such emotions to a young boy such as himself?_

_It was getting to be dusk and the area had a serene atmosphere. A meteor shower began and shooting "stars" could be seen everywhere. The two stood, struck with awe from the sight. _

_Sasuke could feel their shoulders graze each other and grew excited. He tried to reach for her hand, but would feel weird if he touched something else, "Isn't it cool?"_

"_Amazing! It's like the sky is raining stars." She skipped in circles, as if trying to chase the stars._

_On the other hand, Sasuke was already beginning to miss their proximity. He was reluctant to say anything however, "Hinata, let's make a wish!" _

_She crouched down, worn out by the day. Truthfully, this field was the only place she could act like a real kid. Everywhere else she had to be the heiress. Everywhere else she had to be worthless because she didn't fit as an heiress. She didn't fit as a ninja. But here, she fit, because all she had to be was herself._

_No one could admire the attributes of Hinata Hyuuga better than Sasuke Uchiha. In his eyes, she was perfect for him. Hinata was supposed to be weak; Sasuke was supposed to be strong. Hinata was supposed to be warm; Sasuke was supposed to be cold. That's why they fit so perfectly. That's why she was perfect to him, so he **had** to be perfect to her. He came over and sat down across from her, unable to look her in the eye. "Hinata, you like me, right?"_

_Her tongue stuck out and she nodded, "We're best friends. Of course I like you."_

_By looking at her expression, he figured she was comfortable with being just friends. He was too afraid to ask 'if she like-liked him like boyfriend and girlfriend' because she might say 'ewww' then they wouldn't be friends anymore. All he needed for now was for her to be close to him anyway. _

_They both made their wishes. But wishes are silly - for kids. It's not right to have faith in a star. Although, the sun is a star, we have faith that it will last forever. What is so different about having faith in shooting stars? As long as the star flies across the universe, a dream should become reality. Just as the star takes its own course, dreams do, too. Sometimes we can't identify those dreams as our own, but they are, indeed, in the works._

_Their backs were against a tree, reclining. The air was really quiet and it was easier to breathe - at least for Hinata. She leaned on Sasuke's shoulder, closing her eyes in relaxation. She couldn't feel his heart beat, could she? She couldn't possibly with the look on her face, "You like me, too, right?" It was an innocent question. However, it was a lot easier for her to ask than it was for Sasuke. _

_What power, he gulped, disappointed at how hard it was for him to ask. Maybe she was just as scared as he was. He'd heard when you tell someone you like-liked them there's a chance you could get cooties, "I feel weird when we're this close," he warned, feeling her warmness against him. She leaned deeper into him. _

_It was now or never, he inhaled a great amount of air, "I don't like you, I like-like you. No, it's more than like-like. I want to marry you one day, Hina-chan. I love you. When that day comes, you won't be scared or sad or feel weak because I'll be there for you. You know, if you were my wife, you could do whatever you wanted to just as long as I was around." His eyebrows were furrowed, and his fist tightened around a blade of grass._

_**("Whatever" is always one word.)_

_The anticipation of her response, weighed heavy on his heart, so much so he had physical signs of anxiety. Hinata let out a snore, indicating she'd slept through his confession. She slumped into Sasuke's lap causing him to cringe, "Ah, Hina-chan! You didn't hear anything I said? You're such an idiot." _

_Apparently she woke up to hear the idiot part. Tears came to her eyes as she whined, "Anooo…Sasuke-kun, you're so mean!" She stretched and rubbed her eye with the other hand. _

_"Sorry," he whispered, so softly Hinata couldn't hear him. It was really odd to have his friend fall asleep in his lap. Especially with the feelings he had for her, he couldn't even function with her this close. His face grew red as she yawned. He'd never reacted this way to any girl, he tried to push her off of him before any real reaction could occur, "Hina-chan, get off me! You're lazy, too. How could you fall asleep at a time like this?"_

_Tears flowed down her face, "Sasuke-kun, I can't help if I fall asleep! Will you carry me?"_

_He frowned, pushing her away, "No, Aniki will tease me then." She was still in his lap and it **bothered** him._

_"Come on, a piggy-back ride! He gives me piggy-back rides all the time." She whined, reaching for Sasuke's neck to hold onto._

_He scowled at the thought of his brother intruding on his courting, "He did!?" _

_She nodded, blushing once more, "He's so much nicer than you, Sasuke-kun!"_

_"Shut up!" Why didn't she ever blush for him? But still, his face softened; her blush was so mesmerizing to look at._

_But now, "Ow, something's poking my neck." She lifted her head to look in Sasuke's lap, and screamed upon what she saw. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand in shock, "What's wrong with you, Sasuke-kun!?"_

_He covered **it**, not knowing what this meant, "A-Ano, sorry, Hina-chan."_

Sometime when she was sleeping, Sasuke had crept into bed with her. She didn't seem to notice.

She was in a long, grey, t-shirt that reached right above her knees. Her right leg was stretched while her left leg was slightly bent and her hair was everywhere. Her body rose and sank according to her breathing pattern.

Sasuke could watch this forever. Her face was just inches from him. He felt her soft breath on his neck. It was all so sensual - a lot more sensual than he remembered. Well, he noted, for one thing, those weren't there and her body was just about flat. Her legs weren't as slender either. Was it wrong to be this close -…Hinata threw her arm around Sasuke, then used her other arm to pull him closer by the waist.

Now he was in trouble. If he moved, she'd wake up and kill him, but if he stayed like this, he'd die from blood loss, "Guh…"

"Sasuke!" a voice called out. He jumped looking up to see a shorter, younger Hyuuga. "Sasuke, get off my sister!"

Get off? She got on him! "Yeah – no…help get her off me. She won't wake up, right?"

"I'll make her get up - get up to kick your ass!"

"Don't."

Five minutes later...

Hanabi and Sasuke sat once again across from each other at a desk. They were weak from struggle over Hinata's awareness. Hanabi had caused Hinata to stir. Sasuke had managed to escape Hinata's tighter grip and he locked the door behind him.

The room had grown cold and dark just as the ground above them grew warm and lit. Silence fell heavily upon sensitive ears. The two were confronting each other and the conference got hostile, just as Sasuke's previous conversation with Hinata. Such events were likely to occur whenever Sasuke came close to opening up.

The biggest question was - who were they talking with?

Sasuke had heard little of Hanabi as Hinata was unlikely to disclose any of her familial affairs. On the other hand, Hanabi had heard a lot about Sasuke from gossiping elders and the academy kids.

Present Sasuke had a cool, calmer presence, and a more practical approach to situations. Sure, they'd get out of hand and lead to yelling, yet his heart was different. Objectives. The objective he held close to his heart had been revealed. Doing so had laid his insecurities out in the open.

"I've loved your sister for a very long time, Hanabi. Ever since I was a kid, she's been my greatest weakness," he folded his hands, sighing. "Don't get in my way!" His heart thumped in his chest. Siblings always got in the way, didn't they? Perhaps Hanabi was different than his brother.

Hanabi tried to stifle laughter, "Mph..." Sasuke was a fool. What could he possibly see in Hinata other than her kind nature that brought tears of joy to anyone who encountered her - let alone her touch with soft, firm fingers that healed any surface touched by a mere graze; her rare smile that lit up any room. Surely such a man would want a strong kunoichi like Sakura-chan or Ino-san or even herself that could fight with him in battle.

"Oh, Hina-hime, I've waited so long. Please make babies with me and let's live together oh so happily!" She mimicked Sasuke's possible confession, "I love you so much and I'd die to hear you say you love me the same way. We were meant to be together."

Sasuke scowled, narrowing his eyes at Hinata, "I'm not ready to be a father yet, nor is she to hear those words."

Did he not realize how incredibly cheesy that'd be, Hanabi thought, looking dumbfounded over to him. Although Hinata would be the sentimental girl to fall for it, Sasuke had to step up his game plan a little, "What? Isn't that one of your dreams, to repopulate the Uchiha clan!?"

He nodded, leaning back, put at ease by the situation. His face softened, "Yeah. It is. But could you see me holding children? The last thing I want is to ruin the life of another - especially someone close to me. I have no patience, but I'm going to have to hold that all back for now." He gripped the side of the table frowning, "I'm still a man." Hanabi raised an eyebrow; what would his manhood have to do with this? He cleared his throat, glaring at the locked door/barrier between him and a sleeping heiress, "A weak and vulnerable goddess-like woman whom I've been in love with for a long time is sprawled onto the bed in nothing but a t-shirt and underwear."

Hanabi was appalled by the Uchiha's blunt explanation, "What? You have a dick?!" She gasped. Truthfully, it was hard to imagine Sasuke having hormones even more hard than it was to imagine him falling in love. Girls threw themselves at him, and he refused them all for her sister. Was it an honor or was it just a desperate man's feelings?

"Shut up!" he smirked, "You'll understand one day. That day, you'll meet the one man that you won't be able to pull yourself away from."

She grinned, "I don't plan to fall in love like this. He'll be my bitch, not the other way around."

Sasuke shook his head, "No one plans to fall in love in any certain way."

"Fuck that!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I'm bored." Hanabi twiddled her thumbs, unable to think of anything else, she asked, "Have you ever kissed neechan?" She looked up in the air, in deep thought about nothing much at all. She'd never seen Hinata actually fall in love. She could barely call her crush on Naruto: love. "If so, then how far did you go?" The process would be amusing indeed.

This question was a little too personal. He was reluctant to answer, but, "We kissed. That's all I'm answering."

Hanabi's eyes widened, "Really?" She expressed a bit of excitement, more so than usual.

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah...a few times, actually."

**hmfan: I'm still introducing the situation and the characters, so it's moving a bit slow. My goal is to string everything together with motifs and complex allusions so that by the last chapter, you'll understand. **


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